Lukashenko: having its own nuclear power plant enabled Belarus to completely stop importing electricity
The nuclear power plant in Ostrovets has completely transformed the Belarusian energy sector — as noted by President Aleksandr Lukashenko during today’s meeting, discussing the operation of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP), the rising energy consumption in the republic and the proposals to construct a second nuclear power plant (a third power unit)
The Head of State noted that five years have passed since the BelNPP began operating, which is a sufficient period to draw interim conclusions, “We have secured a source of affordable, environmentally clean energy for decades to come, achieving both economic and environmental benefits (reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 26m tonnes). Throughout its operation, the nuclear power plant has generated over 53bn kWh of electricity, allowing us to completely abandon electricity imports. We have also managed to reduce dependence on natural gas (by 14.5bn cubic metres), whose share in energy generation used to reach up to 95 percent (now about 65 percent), and saved budget funds (over Br1.6bn).”
Moreover, according to Aleksandr Lukashenko, the nuclear power plant has completely transformed the Belarusian energy sector.
“As part of integrating the BelNPP into the energy system, a large-scale programme to modernise the electrical networks has been implemented (over 1,700km of power lines have been reconstructed), modern substations have been built and advanced digital technologies have been introduced to enhance the reliability of electricity supply to consumers,” the Belarusian leader pointed out.
The President stated that a new economic sector has been established in the country, alongside the necessary infrastructure and a modern system for workforce training. Throughout the years of implementing the national nuclear energy programme, Belarus has gained exceptional experience in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also provided additional figures that highlight the benefits Belarus has gained from operating its own nuclear power plant, “The BelNPP has stimulated growth in electricity consumption. In 2024, consumption reached a historic high of 43.3bn kWh (an increase of about 6bn kWh over the past five years). The entire population of Belarus has access to electricity. Moreover, Belarus ranks third among European countries with the lowest electricity prices (according to a ranking published in June 2025, the lowest electricity costs are found in Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus). The use of electricity for heating and hot water supply, as well as the construction of electric homes, has improved living comfort for hundreds of thousands of people (over 2m square metres of such housing were built between 2021 and 2025). Many private homeowners are also happily switching to electric heating, with more than 160,000 applications submitted last year.”
Electric transport is also developing, not only in major cities, the Head of State noted, “Pilot projects to convert public transport to electric power have been launched in Shklov, Zhodino and Novopolotsk. Overall, there are currently more than 44,000 electric vehicles operating across the country and over 1,870 charging stations.”
